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The human eye and typical phone cameras can detect only three wavelength ranges from the light spectrum: red, green, and blue.

‘That’s just a fraction of the information contained in light,’ says Westerlund.

Agate Sensors is commercializing a breakthrough that brings the power of hyperspectral imaging from the laboratory to entirely new markets — in an unprecedented size and price range.

Hyperspectral cameras and sensors record significantly more data about the wavelength and intensity of light than the human eye or a standard camera. They utilize a broader portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling them to detect countless invisible properties — from plant nutrient levels to gunpowder residue in clothing.

Traditionally, hyperspectral cameras rely on large optical and mechanical components to scatter and filter light. Their size ranges from that of a toaster to a suitcase, with prices starting at €50,000.

Agate Sensors’ version fits on your fingertip — and is designed to be affordable enough that it could one day be included in every mobile phone.

This leap forward is the result of over ten years of basic research.

From grocery stores to doctors’ offices

In 2022, Zhipei Sun, Professor of Photonics at Aalto University, and his team published a breakthrough in, the world-renowned scientific journal.

The researchers had succeeded in replacing the bulky and fragile components of traditional hyperspectral cameras with a tiny semiconductor structure, where light is dispersed by electrical voltage rather than filters and prisms.

‘The size of a single light-receiving pixel is 2 by 2 micrometers — about the size of a pinhead — and tens of millions of them can be packed side by side on a semiconductor circuit. The light is analyzed by an algorithm we developed ourselves,’ Westerlund explains.

Agate Sensors’ fingertip-sized spectral sensor can be integrated into mobile phones, smartwatches, drones, satellites, and more. The potential use cases are vast.

‘In the future, you'll be able to use your phone to check the ripeness of an avocado or the freshness of fish at the grocery store. A remote doctor could use data from a smartwatch to monitor your stress levels, blood pressure, or iron deficiency. Top athletes could track their lactate levels, and forest owners could monitor the condition of their trees using drones,’ Westerlund envisions.

A fast start — and ambitious goals

Although the innovation behind Agate Sensors took more than a decade of research, the company’s growth has been rapid. Following the breakthrough, the team quickly applied for Business Finland’s Research to Business funding and patented the technology. The company was founded in 2024.

The founding team has since grown to 14 people, including experts in nanotechnology, photonics, optics, software, algorithm development, and commercialization — from several different countries.

The first semiconductor circuit is set to go into production in just a couple of weeks.

’This will give us more accurate information about how the circuits function at scale — just in time for Christmas,’ Westerlund says with a laugh.

In September, Agate Sensors raised €5.6 million in funding to commercialize its technology. Finnish venture capital firm Voima Ventures and Italian investor LIFTT participated in the round, which also included €1.6 million in support funding from Business Finland.

What does the future look like?

’In five years, we expect that the first major mobile phone manufacturers will have integrated our sensors into their devices, and we’ll be approaching a billion euros in revenue,” Westerlund says. “Most of that will come from software — the insights and data provided by our algorithms — not from the sensors themselves. Health technology and defense will likely be the biggest application areas.’

And what kind of springboard has the university been for this high-tech growth story?

‘Agate Sensors would not exist without the basic research done by Professor Zhipei Sun’s group. Moving from researcher to entrepreneur is certainly a big shift, and Aalto has done a lot to make that transition easier,’ Westerlund says.

More information:

Mikael Westerlund
CBO, Agate Sensors Oy
+ 358 40 540 9880
mikael.westerlund@agatesensors.com

University accelerates the path from research to business

Aalto University has invested in a smoother process to promote technology transfer and commercialisation of innovations by research-based spin-off companies, says Anu Honkalinna, the university's head of spinoff asset management.

‘Companies based on technological innovation are usually backed by years of research. When it starts to look like an innovation has commercial potential, a Research-to-Business project is often set up with support from Business Finland.’

R2B projects take around 18 months to get the technology ready for commercialisation and test whether there’s a market for it. This is the stage where the team's readiness to run the business is examined, and the elements of entrepreneurship are reviewed.

‘We have coaches who train the teams. We require plans for business, cap table, and financing. We also need information on intellectual property rights and a description of the team and its roles. The team needs to be technologically and commercially capable and financially secure,’ says Honkalinna.

If the situation looks favourable, the next step is to set up a company and transfer the technology from the university to the company. The law requires that public assets, such as university innovations, aren’t given away for free. This could give the start-up company an unjustified competitive advantage.

The new practice is that Aalto University will receive a 10.0%–19.9% stake in the start-up before other investors get involved.

‘Typically, it’s closer to 10 than 20 percent. When we negotiate the share, we look at what kind of patent portfolio the company has and compare the situation with other teams. We have created a basic contractual framework that allows us to complete the technology transfer in 30 days.’

Aalto’s profits from the shares will be shared with those who have been involved in creating the innovation. The professors, the researchers, and the relevant department can consider whether they want to keep a share of the profit generated by the company for Aalto at the time of exit, or whether they would rather consider an immediate reward.

‘We have different options for getting involved in a business. For example, a professor can participate as an inventor only, or as both an inventor and a part-time advisor to a company. Working full-time in a company requires a leave of absence.’